Gods and Kings
All Hail A gold-skinned woman sat upon a throne, one of great extravagance that showed Cairo's superiority among the rest of the world. With the entire room showered in riches, there wasn't a drop of poverty, not one thing that would lead to any hint of hardship, The Queen would not allow it. Even the servants were dressed prim and proper, given a standard uniform courtesy of Pharah herself, a showing of her generosity and selfishness to those devoted to her! Two guards stood beside her throne, men whose muscles would put a giant to shame. They wielded spears and the traditional garb of those enlisted in Cairo's army. With a snap of the woman's fingers, various servants entered the throne room, carrying on their backs as massive table which held what appeared to be a ripe harvest, filled with the most luxurious and glamorous fruits that one could obtain in such a dry and arid climate. The servants lowered the table gently, though sweaty and tired, craving rest, they forged onward, bowing to their queen. One man even struggling to get up, and yet fought through it. He knew the consequences of weakness. Pharah smiled a wicked smile, crossing her legs. "Do you expect me to feed myself?" She licked her lips, like a venomous cobra that had just seen a mouse! Naturally, the people knew how to speak to their ruler. "No, my Goddess. Forgive me, I was simply mesmerized by your beauty!" Flicking her snaked tongue as if to call him closer, the man walked forward, but not empty handed. Carrying with him the greenest plumpest grapes of the yield, he knelled beside her, holding the grapes above which allowed her eat whenever she wished. Another of the men grabbed a giant leaf, fanning the woman to ensure she wasn't too hot. "So what is it you must tell me." Both the grape holder and leaf fanner froze, how could she know? Grunts of horror escaped their mouths. "Don't fret, but don't waste my time with pleasantries." The woman said, grabbing both of the men's chins and forcing their eyes to lock onto her. "What has happened." She demanded, commanding them in such a way only a queen could and they had no other option but to answer. "The intruders! They are here!" Pharah's eyes widened her grip tightening so much so that the men began to groan but she quickly collected herself, it wasn't queenly to have such a temper. Standing from her throne she spoke to the guard who had been standing on the left of her, just behind the man with the leaf. "We cannot allow the citizens to know of a foreign invasion. I trust that you will take care of this?" The man nodded before scurrying off to preform some unknown cautionary measure that they had clearly prepared for. "And you." She spoke to the guard on the right, behind the grape holder. "Gather your men and capture the intruders but do not kill them... It has been too long since the people of Cairo saw the power of their queen." This man not only nodded, but bowed, quickly of course, before running off and gathering his comrades. Giza, Home of the Gods Kabir looked around in wonder as they passed through the gate. The large pyramids, obelisks, it was much bigger than it was in Desouk. Meanwhile, Avery trudged along, drinking heavily from a bottle of water. "I hate deserts!" Avery shouted. "What's the fastest way through this city? We gotta rendezvous with the Sol Arche." "I don't know," said Kabir, "I've never been to Giza before." “I can guide you through Giza, this was one of the first places I visited when I was studying the culture of the elite citizens.” Marie had checked the place out but found that many people here were wealthy and had good health, along with this they were usually well mannered and worshipped the queen highly. “Though you’ll need to blend in.” "Well, how are we supposed to blend in? We didn't exactly bring any Cairo clothes. Shephard's wearing a god damn suit!" He wasn't actually angry. It was just the heat exhaustion. Shephard rolled her eyes. “I can get you clothes, you’ll just need to slip them on real quick so that you don’t stand out like a sore thumb.” It’s true this was the largest and most luxurious city in Cairo, which meant they had the best shops. Marie’s shadow rose up from the ground, turning into a few spiders. They hid in the shadows, moving to various shops and snagging outfits quickly before bringing them to Marie, with that, her shadow went back into the ground as normal. “Ta-Da! Get changed, the queen probably knows someone’s invaded but she may not know who.” In a flash, Shephard was already changed. She tapped her foot impatiently as everyone else changed. "Yeah, be like that," said Avery, "we can't all move at the speed of sound." “Maybe you should learn, Avery.” Marie chuckled, putting up a shadowy blind to shield him. In a flash, Yoichi also changed her clothes, making sure she hid from Avery's view, and on her waist, were several gourds and alcohol bottles strapped up. She shrugged her shoulders as she threw her regular clothes away. "The people here are too easy to pickpocket. It's almost sad..." With just a whistle, Yoichi could push things away from people, enabling her to also be a great thief, one of her many hidden talents. "So what's up next, ya' fools?" She said while finishing a whole bottle in a single gulp. "Tell me about it," said Shephard, tossing Yoichi a stack of berries. "Buy yourself some booze later." "Ordinarily it would be dangerous for us to move as such a large group," said Avery, "we'd attract a lot of attention that way. However, we only have one guide, so I suppose we have to stick together. Lead the way Marie." “If you insist.” Marie states walking through the main entrance of the city, making sure to keep her eyes forward and not to draw attention to herself or the group that was following her. “The people in this area of Cairo are high class, wealthy and often seen in a higher status than the type of people you’d see where Kabir lives.” "So it's not a slummy capital," said Avery, good to know." "Now," said Shephard, "does that mean this is the type of capital where the people don't expect criminals to walk through because they're so comfortable, or one where they're on high alert because of the important people that live here?" "They should've gotten into the city today! Keep looking! They could be anywhere!" A group of guards ran through the streets of the city, right past the group of pirates. "I guess that answers that question," said Avery. Marie heard the guards, leading the group down a less desirable street, it was narrow and was similar to a dark alleyway with a few merchants and others lurking and trying to sell stuff. “So.. Do you mind if I kill like two of those soldiers for a project I’m working on?” Avery raised his eyebrow. "Not unless you have to. I'd prefer to not draw any attention towards us." Yoichi placed her hand on the ground, releasing a burst of her screech unto it. “There’s another group of guards patrolling the other side. While they don’t know we’re here yet, they actually got us surrounded.” Yoichi had essentially used echolocation, sending her soundwaves through the ground and near vicinity, and as they bounced back, it would give her an accurate layout of the surrounding area. She looked up to the top of the buildings on both sides of the alley. “We could try that, go up. But we’d have to keep moving, seeing as these merchants might tell on us too.” She said while pointing upwards, awaiting on Avery’s input. "I was about to suggest the same thing," said Avery. "Let's get going." He started to scale the building. The guards were not idiots, and even if they had been, this group wouldn't have fooled the three stooges. In a place like Cairo, there were no places to hide. When society itself is scared of the unknown, practically everything becomes life threatening, outsiders were rare, and few survived, but that of course wasn't always the guards doing. The civilians of Cairo are just as dedicated to rooting out evil as the leadership was. The Sand Dune Militia, along with the Cairo Army had united forces, and there was practically one hundred guards stationed on every block. There was no way out. As the rag tag team made a last ditch effort to scale a building, they could hear the call of bird, a falcon. One of the many animals the army had for this occasion, it's aerial vision had revealed their location almost instantly flying back to it's master to report the news. But that was just one creature of Cairo's marvelous menagerie. The Capital of Giza was a force which had withstood many marine invasions hundreds of years ago, with a capable leader controlling the army, and four powerful generals, along with several tricks up their sleeve, nothing was going to come easy, and in fact, various sectors of the city had been specifically set up for war. It just so happened, the Everything Pirates were in one of them. The very market they stood in seemed different... empty almost? As if the people had seemingly evacuated without any notice. It was an eerie feeling, one that would give anyone with a brain an impending sense of doom. "Release them!" The guard who had been by Pharah's side pulled a lever, lowering the cities treasured market creating a strange pit of sorts, technology that Pharah explained to her people as the God's blessing of the land. It didn't seem dangerous until... guards surrounded the newly made market pit with cages, cages of... SNAKES! Of varying sizes and shapes and colors, but with one common trait. Poison. Kabir stood her ground, watching as the chaos unfolded, the market lowering, her fists clenched. The Queen knew they were here. It was the only explanation. How was it this convenient, that they had landed in a spot such as this? Falling right into a trap! The world was made in that woman's favor. Yet, Kabir remained calm, with a single bead of sweat on her brow. "The snakes are venomous, don't let them bite." Kabir said, having the voice and movements of a cool beauty as she walked forward towards the slithering creatures who dared to snap at such a beauty, but to everyone's surprise, Kabir did not try and fight back and instead... danced? A beautiful and seductive dance, one that utilized the hips and the arms in such a way that many could only dream of doing. It seemed the snakes were just as easy to charm as humans! And the ones that had threatened her before now danced with her! Turning her head to the Everything Pirates while continuing her seductive movements, she spoke with her eyes, small pupils that begged for the group not to reveal their powers any further, and hoping they would get that secret message, if even just a gut feeling. Avery's eyes were filled with hearts as he looked on at the beauty's dance, just as mesmerized as the snakes. It wasn't until she began to speak with her eyes that he snapped out of it. "Alright, what do we do now?" he asked. "Doesn't seem particularly safe to just walk around them." Marie just watched Kabir, pretty impressive to be able to charm snakes using mesmerizing dancing. “Good kob Kabir! Twerk for them snakes.” She then looked back at Avery, shrugging her shoulders. “Not sure what we should do but it looks like we need to not give up our devil fruit abilities anymore. Gonna have to rely on raw power and it seems they have more than that.” As the situation ensued, Yoichi understood Kabir’s message. As troublesome as it was, she knew things had gotten out of hand, and she was going to try and not make it worse. Or was she? Her bow was able to be folded and hidden perfectly under her cloak, but instead of her usual weapon, Yoichi pulled put a double bladed knife, its blades curved, almost like a boomerang. It seemed Yoichi always had a new trick under her sleeve. “Hmpf, I never said the only things I can do is screech and shoot arrows!” With a swift and masterful throw, the blade spinned forward rapidly, aimed at the snake’s heads as the blades boomerang weapon accurately hit its marks, effectively missing the dancing woman. As the blade beheaded some snakes, another one was shot from Yoichi’s hands, as the other blade returned, and a third one next. It wasn’t as seductive as Kabir’s, but Yoichi was making a dance of her own, one of death. The snake’s numbers kept dwindling, Yoichi’s hands were moving so fast they seemed blurry, precisely catching and shooting back and catching the blades like a master juggler, using precise footwork as she moved around, dodging the snakes and slicing them before they got too close. It seemed Yoichi was truly trained in the assassination arts, and was capable of dealing with almost any situation. "Well look at that," said Avery, "The two of you working together. Maybe you would make an excellent member of our crew, Kabir." Avery chuckled. "I'd be careful with the heads though. I hear they can still have spasms and bite someone for a few hours after being severed. The dancer stopped as the blade spun, slicing and severing the serpents that surrounded her. Honestly she was amazed, until now the Crews skills had proven to be... well, she didn't think they stood a chance but it was a shot she had to take. How long could she have gone on dancing for a living? Guards interrupted her thought process, with the groups continuous efforts and the snakes dropping like flies, they had to act fast! The man giving orders, still one of the lower guards in the food chain, was in charge until the real army commander arrived, or at least one of the four generals. "Surround them men!" Various armed soldiers grabbed their shields and bows, standing around the pit the best that they could in order to form a human barricade. The snakes had died down a bit, slithering in a circle around the group and snapping every once and a while, though there weren't nearly as much as there once was. Kabir looked puzzled, pacing back a few steps in order to be beside Avery. She wanted to comment on his mentioning of the crew, but there was a time and a place, and she'd never been one for casual chit chat. "We're out numbered." She muttered, an obvious statement and although Kabir could only see into the past, it didn't take much too see their future. Even with Devil Fruits, Cairo had millions of people and every single one would turn on them faster than the Queen could say seize them. She knew how the law functioned in Cairo, how unjust the Queen truly was, there would be no trial if they were captured! Unless... no, they couldn't. But she had to suggest it. over the years, very few foreigners had made it to the sands, and none had come this far, but there were murderers, thieves, bandits, brutes who had requested the only way out of a crime, trial by combat. "Avery." Kabir spoke softly, the snakes continued to slither, the guards chanting to themselves, "How strong are you?" It was an odd question, but one that needed to be answered for her to even suggest the trials as an option! "I've heard the term, skin as hard iron tossed around a bit to describe me," said Avery. He took a step forward, ready to engage the enemy. "Don't let him fool you, he's nowhere near as strong as me." Seth remarked, having sat quietly throughout most of the ordeal, an oddity for someone like him who tended to be very talkative, but it came to an end as he made his way to Avery's side, raring and ready to fight. Seth cracked his knuckles as if he was going to fight with his fists, though anyone who knew him knew he would never, he truly had an ocarina in his front pocket, ready to play a delightful and destructive melody. "If you are as strong as you claim, then trust me." Kabir once again made her way to the front of the group, who had fought chivalrously against the snakes, and if it came down to it, they would have done the same with the soldiers. Unfortunately, when an entire Kingdom is against you, the chance of survival becomes less and less. Putting one hand on her heart and the other in the air, she gained the attention of the troops, if not with her gesture, with her beauty. "We surrender to the Queen." Kabir spoke, a shocked expression on the guards faces. They hadn't expected this, to win so easily? But Kabir knew that they hadn't won it simply took a loss to get where they needed to be. The guards talked among each other, questioning if this was some sort of trap, they discussed strategy, leaving the Everything Pirates to do the same. "Listen." Kabir spoke, silencing any words that might try and leak from their running mouths. There was no time. "Now is not a time to be bold. They will take us to the Queen, we will request a trial by combat, and we will win." That was the plan, and she only hoped that they'd stick to it... Avery raised an eyebrow. If she hadn't explained the situation so eloquently, he would've been far more enraged. While the guards were busy formulating their own strategy, Avery raised his portable Den Den Mushi to his mouth. "Aru, this is Avery, are the modifications ready yet...? Excellent. We've hit a little snag in the plans. Meet us in Giza in a few days. I'll call you when I want you to make your grand entrance." The snakes were called off, slithering back into their cages, the lever switched, raising the earth back to it's original position, the pit was gone. "Shackle them." A guard commanded, Kabir held out her arms, locked inside iron chains which connected the group, so that one could not run away and leave the rest. Unfortunate. "Move along." They were paraded through the streets of Giza, making sure to take as long as possible, so that the citizens could humiliate them, laugh at the intruders and gawk at their Queens supremacy. It was embarrassing, but it gave them time to talk. The dancer kept her head down, "When we arrive... be careful." She muttered, having been shackled next to Avery, thankfully, as he was the one person she needed to talk too. Kabir's words sounded far away. He giggled to himself as he walked, watching the citizens jeer and throw food at them. Something even hit him in the head, but he just kept on giggling, wearing the evilest grin a man like him could possibly wear. Suddenly he snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry Kabir, I couldn't hear you over the sound of me being absolutely livid. When do we get to kill people again?" Coup de Grace The tanned, stunning woman was not in her throne room, but instead a room much deeper into the castle pyramid. Laying in a sarcophagi, wrapped in bandages from head to toe. The room had a weird vibe, with torches in the corners and various herbs and other medicinal remedies on shelves and hung on the wall. From one of the two doors in the room, a man entered, his clothes appeared to be much more casual than the rest of those in Cairo, but he was a resident none the less, Pharah's Court Physician to be exact. "Medunefer" Pharah spoke, "Tell me again, how beautiful I am?" The woman said, rising from the coffin, the bandages unraveling and revealing the Queen who appeared to have been rejuvenated by the treatment, a miracle of medicine. Medunefer kneeled, "There is no one under the sun more beautiful." His words were slow and groggy, the bags under his eyes combined with his speech showed he hadn't slept in days. Always studying and never taking a break. Slipping into her regal attire, she sent Medunefer to his chambers and clapped, calling a few Guards to come and carry her into the throne room, where she had been told there was important matters to discuss. Once she arrived and got comfortably situated, one of the guards caught her up on the situation taking place inside her city. "So they've surrendered.." It was puzzling, why they had come so far just to fade out like a dying flame, but who was she to question the lesser minds of those below her. "Bring them to me." She commanded, the solders bowing, leaving to follow orders and carry out the Queens demands. Having been shown on the streets like farm animals at a county fair, the crew had finally arrived. It was a testament of Cairo's power. That intruders were to be captured, the Queens power flaunted for everyone to see. It wasn't often that strangers found their place to the castle, or even out of the desert at all, so for this band to make it.. well it was astonishing. The queen brought a finger to her lips, interesting, she whispered to herself, seeing the group be shuffled into the throne room, wearing chains as if they were slaves for the market. Pharah recognized only one of those standing before her. Someone she had heard many rumors of, whose parents were famed for their work on exploring Cairo's history, which Pharah quickly put a stop too. A scaly snake grin showed on the beautiful woman's face, her skin glowing like the shining sun, her hair as perfect as a God could possibly allow, her beauty rivaling that of a Mermaid Princess, and her words striking like a blade. "Kneel." It was all she had to say, all that needed to be said, and if those before her had any common sense, just a morsel of wit, they would obey. Kabir, possibly for the first time, looked worried. She was a brave girl, one who was hardly afraid of anything. Always refusing to be the damsel in distress, she had taken care of herself since a young age, dealt with men who tried to force her into marriage, thieves who attempted to take everything, and she survived. On this journey she had proven more than anything that her will was strong, but when it came to the Venomous Snake Queen, she was a mouse whose squeaks were silent and so, when told, she bowed without question. Avery's expression and giggle had persisted the entire time they had been walking to the castle. He had even been struck by the guards multiple times in the head in an effort to get him to stop, but their weapons only seemed to break on his skull. It wasn't until he was finally addressed by the queen that the glassy look in his eyes and his evil grin shifted. Now his eyes were replaced with hearts and his smile was far more lecherous. "Oh my god..." Shephard mumbled. She had followed the queen's instructions and kneeled, not wanting to make things worse for them. Although, of course, Avery was a different story. The woman brought a hand beneath her chin, tilting her head ever so slightly. One could expect, via her cold and calculating gaze, to have been beheaded right then and there, but Pharah was as curious as she was cruel, and everyone knows what happened to that cat. "SILENCE." She commanded, ending any chatter that might have been taking place, gossip among the guards, chattering among the pirates. "Surely you have not come here without knowing who I am. Pharah, Queen of Cairo for the past five hundred years, an immortal ruler who has never been bested, blessed by the Gods themselves... and yet you stumble onto my sands, attack my precious sharks, terrorize my citizens, tell me, just who do you believe yourselves to be! To oppose a QUEEN." The guards were blown away, the expressions of the crew yet to be revealed. She had quite a tongue, a silver one at that, and her words carried weight. Avery shook his head, the hearts disappearing from his vision as he regained his composure. "Alright, first of all, those sharks are mine now." Shephard looked at him in horror. There was no way they would even make it to the trial by combat now. "Secondly, who am I? I'm Henry Avery, captain of the Everything Pirates, and I'm going to become King of the Pirates!" "Yours." Pharah scoffed, the audacity. She could have had him killed right then and there, but where was the fun in that? To entertain his foolish dreams was much more entertaining than bloodshed. "So you're a man who seeks everything, yet at the same time as nothing? Where is your army, where is your kingdom? I don't recall a time where a king has gone without." Pharah gave a hissing laugh, one that seemed almost venomous, if a laugh could even be such a thing. Kabir was shocked, not by Avery's words, but by Pharah's behavior? Why were they alive and then it came to her, she didn't need a vision to see what was happening... they didn't need a trial by combat! They had fallen into her trap, they were already getting one! This was all for her amusement. Too afraid to speak, she decided to let Avery speak, if he didn't see this as some cruel twisted joke on her end, mocking them like this, then maybe his ignorance would be bliss. "You know what..." Avery began, stroking his chin, "you're right. Every great king has territory. Now where to begin... Oh I know, I'll be taking yours!" "You will be lucky to leave Cairo with your lives, much less your dignity." The woman's legs swirled together, forming the scaly tail of snake as she slithered from her throne, the guards nearly fainted at seeing such a power... their knees weak. "I will NOT be triumphed over." She hissed into the mans face, snapping her fingers, the chained prisoners were taken to the dungeon, below the castle, to await further notice about their sentencing, which was said to come tomorrow. ---- "So like, was that just me, or was that queen really hot?" asked Avery. "Shut up Avery, I'm trying to concentrate!" shouted Shephard. "On what?" She turned back to the group, and etched onto her face was that of the saddest looking person anyone had ever seen. Avery was unaware that Shephard could even emote in such a manner. She ran over to the prison bars, shouting to the guards. "Please! Please! You can't do this to me! I'm pregnant! I'm not that far along yet, but I just know this is going to be the one! Please! You can't do this!" The guards seemed to avert eye contact, going just far away enough that they couldn't see her. Shephard's face immediately transformed back to her normal, emotionless state. "Well that didn't work." Kabir stayed with the others. The guards payed no mind to their chit chat, though their loyalty was unwavering, they had learned to pick their battles and it was soon enough that the group would learn to hold their tongue, or lose their heads. Kabir watched as prisoners ran, shaking the iron bars of their cells in a desperate attempt at freedom, something they clearly hadn't seen. The desperation.. she had seen it before. Through visions alone. Part of her wanted to break these chains, help these people, but that could not be done. This was Cairo. She couldn't be bothered to think of that now, she needed something to put her mind at ease, so why not join the others in their talk? The dancer wasn't shocked by Avery's words. She hadn't known him for long, but his boldness, or more so what she perceived as a lack of sense, was almost inspiring. "Pharah's beauty is something that helps her claim to the throne. It's no surprise you're infatuated by her." Kabir's words clashed with her upbringing, having a very intellectual feel, one that most girls in her profession couldn't begin to comprehend! "Well, I'm very infatuated with you too, Kabir," Avery said. “Avery, you’re infatuated with anything that has boobs and can breathe..” Marie rolled her eyes, sitting on the floor, chains around her wrists. Yoichi had remained silent the whole time, during which, she had finally sobered up...and was quite grumpy about it. She sighed as loudly as she could, raising her chained arms to scratch at her head nonchalantly. “Sheeeeeeesh!” She exclaimed, the vibrations produced by her voice shaking the cell bars slightly. “They could’ve done all of this in like, half the time...” she muttered. “These royals and their stupid procedures, they like to shove in everyone’s face how important they are.” She then looked around the group, with a curious look. “Any of ya’ll got a drink? If love struck fool here is gonna fight to the death, I can’t watch that while sober...” Suddenly, she began to scratch her arms frantically. She moved closer to Avery and whispered. “Hey, can I just, scream us outta here or we gonna listen to miss tan and robes over there? Cause...” Yoichi’s body was trembling. “I NEED a drink...And I don’t know how much I can hold myself before going nuts!” "Yeah, I don't think any of us have any alcohol on our person," said Avery, "but don't worry, Yo. We'll be out of here soon enough." Kabir almost smiled at Avery's remark. Almost. Smiling was something she hadn't done often, she hadn't been given many reasons too smile really. Day after day dancing for the pleasure of others just to make a living. Though she loved dancing, she did it for herself! Not for the lustful eyes of perverted men. That almost smile was interrupted by the rest of the lot. The shadow witches rude remarks and the drunken archers intolerable thirst for alcohol. "You should sober up." Kabir said before adding, "Unless you are a better fighter otherwise." Kabir knew what was going to happen, it was inevitable! They wouldn't be executed like most others, with their heads on a chopping block, they'd be thrown into an arena! All they could do was hope... hope and rest. And rest she did. Making herself comfortable on a pile of hay, she explained to them that they should rest, even if they weren't tired, and she fell asleep quickly, it had been a long day, but the ones to come would be much longer. The Rise And Fall It had been days that the prisoners were locked in their cell, given scraps to survive, slurping drops from an empty canteen and just hoping to get by with what little they had, until it was time. Time for them to repent and pay for their crimes in the only way that anyone in Cairo could. Through might. Having been escorted to the coliseum, with much of Cairo gathered with anticipation in the seats, the group known as the everything pirates would soon be forced to fight for their lives in order to be pardoned for their crimes, something that hadn't been achieved in all five hundred years of Pharah's rule, her generals had never lost. Sitting on a throne, high above the normal watchers, was the Queen of The Nile, Pharah herself. Naturally, like any ruler would do before such an event, she had prepared a speech of sorts, something to inspire hope in her people and put any worry that they might have had aside. "People of Cairo." Pharah said, standing from her throne. Her voice loud and powerful enough for all to hear, seemingly sealing their lips shut with just those three words. "These days you have grown anxious and weary, but I assure you there is no reason. When in these five hundred years have I failed you? Your parents? Your grandparents? When the land was barren, it was me who made the river. When the animals began to die, it was me who repopulated them. I and I alone have solved these problems, and I assure you that these... these flea's that have been thrown in our great kingdoms path are just that. Fleas." The crowd cheered their leader on, her words sparking a newfound excitement in their eyes but she was far from over. "Rumor has told me of their great abilities, their powers too, have been gifted from Gods, but I find it hard to believe that our Gods have committed such atrocities. My loyal subjects, it pains me to say that what you will see here is the product of selling your soul for power, the abilities that they possess.. they are unnatural, but you've no reason to fear. Your Generals are more than capable of extinguishing this flame and snuffing out the threat, so let it begin!" Pharah said, taking a deep breath before sitting down. Her people seemed to love it, though they had worried looks on their faces when she spoke of a dark sorcery, they recovered knowing that their Queen could never and has never lost. "Show yourselves, the pirates who claim everything." The cage they had been locked behind upon arrival opened, similar to a classic roman colliseum, allowing them to enter the arena which was full of sand, surrounding on all corners by the eager people of Cairo craving foreign bloodshed. Avery walked out, cracking his neck. "Man, I feel so stiff," he said. The time he spent with barely any food or water barely seemed to phase him. "Anybody stiff?" “I’m pretty stiff, sitting in a cage all day with little food or water will do that to you, dumbass.” Her mouth was parched, longing for water as they ran out rather quickly. “I want to make the corpses of these people dance for me, how dare they follow such an evil queen.” Then was Yoichi, trying to stretch her back and shoulders, with her bagged eyes seemingly showing she hadn’t slept in days. But it wasn’t because of the harsh conditions they had been subjected to for days, no, it was because of the fools that she was caged in with that snored to loudly, preventing her beauty sleep. And at this point, she had no alcohol in her system, further adding to her annoyed state. She looked at the booing crowd and then to this supposed queen. “Stop with the theatrics and let’s get this over with, old hag!” She exclaimed bluntly, before quickly turning her head from them and continued walking towards the middle of the arena. Shephard was antsy herself, but for entirely different purposes. For once, she seemed unnerved, even if her face didn't show it. "Will they be giving me my sword back before this starts?" she asked Kabir. "Usually the contenders are allowed their weapon of choice but I hope you are not a one trick pony." Kabir knew the circumstances, and she also knew that though Pharah was harsh and cruel, she was often fair. In order to remain in power, you had to be, she had luckily found a balance that suited both her and her subjects. "QUIET." Pharah demanded, looking down on the group as if they were ants. "Speak when spoken too." The queen said, loud enough to shush even the riled up fans in the stands who were ready for a fight, but of course, there were still formalities. "Are you, The Everything Pirates, aware of your crimes and prepared to pay for them in blood?" Pharah questioned in a demanding tone, one that proved if anything, she was truly fit to be queen. "I mean, no," said Avery, still nonchalant. "I mean I know we're technically 'criminals', but not too sure on the crime stuff myself. On the outside world I'm wanted for murder, theft, and general acts of piracy, but not too sure about being here. Is the trespassers thing the crime that's 'punishable by death'?" "Don't be a fool. You said yourself you wanted to be king, to rule my land, you come here and expect everything, but you will receive NOTHING, I assure you of that. Henry Avery." As the woman said his name, she grit her teeth with rage while her people cheered for their golden sun goddess, her words to them being on the same level as any fight, with just as much intrigue. “Damnit, Avery!” Yoichi kicked Avery in his leg. “Don’t indulge her! She’ll just keep yapping her mouth and I got no alcohol to deal with that hag’s annoying voice!” She remarked bluntly once again without a care in the world. "You don't have free speech here?" Avery said, practically ignoring Yoichi's kick and remark. "You know I could've been joking... I mean, I wasn't, but what if I was?" "Freedoms are earned in Cairo. If I allowed every weasel to squirm their way into this land and plant their flag in my sands, then I would not be ruling the kingdom I do today. You've now confessed to your crimes, pirate, prepare to pay for them." Pharah's gaze remained unbroken, not even blinking, much less flinching, as she eyed the group, her generals standing behind her like mighty pillars of power supporting a palace. "Now, who wants to go first." The queen asked, but it was more of a demand than anything else, the beckoning of who would, in her eyes, sacrifice themselves on the field of battle for an unachievable goal; defeating the undefeated. "I'll go," said Shephard, stepping up to the plate. She glared up at the queen, not intimidated by her words posturing. "Where's my sword?" "Very well." Pharah said, clapping her hands, a sound that seemed to echo through the arena. Medunefer leaped from the balcony of the arena, landing in the sandpit below without any harm being done to his body, truly a testament of his durability! "Medunefer... do not fail me." She called out from above, to which he responded with only a nod. The medicine man looked dead, with bandages wrapped around his entire body, a posture that resembled a question mark, and a sleepless unresting face. Much like his appearance, his personality proved to be rather dull. Only showing interest in regards to Pharah. "Yes, my queen." He said, bland and expressionless. Looking towards his opponent, he was surprised to see a man in a suit, with long hair? As the guards came, they delivered a sword to them and shuffled the others back behind the bars. "So you're my opponent huh? At least now I don't have to hit a girl." The man kept his hands in his pockets, his eyes glued to the enemy, which he was apparently very confused about... She wrested her sword out of the hands of the man who brought to her, appalled by the fact that anyone else had even touched it. "I am a woman." Wrapped The bandages around the her blade began to unravel around the tip. She pointed it at her opponent. "If you're so averse to hitting women, then this should be easy." Medunefer's face showed a rare emotion, confusion. Was that... no it couldn't be? A woman! "Pretty women." He scoffed with arrogance behind his voice, lowering his head and letting out a bit of a laugh. "Bandages huh?" His voice changing to his usual colorless tone. "Mummy's dance." He mumbled under his breath, forming an X with his hands, the wraps around her blade danced like snakes, curling and curving to wrap around the blade in a dangerous bow! But how was he doing it? Shephard hardly reacted to the sudden bow. "Slip Stream." She blitzed towards her target in a flash, faster than the eye could see. Her precision deadly. "I'll end this with one blow." She went to smack the bandaged man in the side with her sword. Even when fully wrapped, her swords cutting power was enough to decapitate someone. "Fast." Medunefer commented, "But not enough." The mad man smiled, the bandages once again preparing their dance, but this time they lowered themselves, wrapping around the girl's legs in order to stop her in her tracks. Speed meant nothing if you couldn't run. As a safety precaution, Medunefer also leaped back. The crowd cheered as they watched him move but were equally shocked at the girl's speed. As she suddenly tripped, Shephard rolled forward, landing on her hand and flipping back onto her feet. She gritted her teeth. "This is already getting annoying." She held the blade aloft, still wrapped like a present. A blue aura emanated from her sword, and suddenly, all the bandages were shredded from the blade, into strips so small and fine they may as well have been disintegrated. She felt a sudden surge, great power flowing through her, but she recognized that she still wasn't ready to use it yet. She got into a sprinting stance, activating Slip Stream once again. She dashed towards Medunefer once again, aiming a vertical slash from the top of his head all the way down to the bottom of his feet. The man smirked, the bandages on hand arm unraveling into a storm of white wraps in front of him, lowering themselves into the sand to propel him back, narrowly avoiding the blade but at the cost of his precious gauze. "Damn't." He mumbled. A mistake. Now his left hand was exposed but it was far from over. "Mummy Dance: Snake Pit." He said to himself once again, hidden bandages on his legs unwinding, diving into the sands and waiting for their master's command. "Just give up." Medunefer scoffed, clearly irritated at the battle. He had never enjoyed fighting. Shephard pointed her blade towards Medunefer, the tip aimed directly at his throat. "That's my line." She could see his bandages feeding into the ground from his legs. The power within her blade likely wouldn't take much more time before it overwhelmed her. She activated Slip Stream once again, her speed so fast that to the untrained eye she had become invisible. Her path was less direct this time, running in a zig-zag pattern to prevent the mummy from locking on her location. Everything moved in slow motion to her. The movement of every particle of dust, the minuscule movements of her target, she could see it all. She held her blade backwards, low to the ground, ready for anything the general might throw at her to stop her blade from reaching his throat. Medunefer blinked and she was there, right in front of him! His hands left his pockets, the blade nearly meeting his throat! "I give up." He said coolly, hoping that those words would spare him. The blade stopped just shy of his neck, any further and it would've cut his throat. "Really? You're just going to surrender that easily?" said Shephard. "No." The bandages that had dug into the ground sprung from the sands, wrapping around the girls legs and tossing her into the air, swinging her around and around. Medunefer only laughed, the crowd seemed to love his dirty tricks... but what would Shephard do! Despite her being flailed around relentlessly, Shephard's grip remained firm on her sword. She made the smallest movement she could with her arm, a blue burst of energy flying from the blade. It cut right through the bandages, coiling around them as it turned them to shreds, headed straight for Medunefer. "Dai Uzu!" It seemed that it was over! Medunefer was by no means a strong opponent, his body was weak and he certainly wasn't the strongest of the generals. Falling to the floor, the crowd was shocked at the outcome, but their wills lived on! Doctors weren't fighters, everyone knew that! No way their queen would let THEM win... Shephard landed on her feet, freed from the bandages of Medunefer, just before dropping to her knees in exhaustion. She stuck her blade into the ground, letting go of hilt. The sword had really sapped her strength. "Looks like the rest is up to you guys." All Seeing Eye Marie was about to be assigned her combatant, humming quietly to herself as she looked around at the other members of her crew doing fighting of their own and she wondered who it was she would be paired up against.. In truth, she wasn't much of a fighter but she had decent skills in basic combat and her fruit made her a deadly opponent. Her eyes locked towards the queen, approaching closer before kneeling out of respect. "Who might I be fighting, Queen Pharah?" Marie may be the enemy but she was raised with manners to respect those in higher positions, even if you are not apart of the kingdom. Despite Phara's position in the battles, her face showed no sign of worry. Even as the pathetic pirate dared speak to her, she remained calm and collected. Not wanting to talk directly to her, she merely whispered to Iset, a stunningly beautiful woman, second only to Pharah herself. The prophet's arms turned to wings and she landed on the sands with elegance and grace. Her arms reverted and she covered an eye with her hand. "I see." The woman said, closing her eyes and taking a few steps forward. "So you are the shadow that blocks the sun." "Even the shadows need their time to shine." Marie rose from her knee, looking up at the woman that Phara whispered to. "And who might you be?" Her arms took place near her lap, folding slightly. Her gaze was neutral, simply staring at the woman and waiting for a reply, if that is that she would be able to get one. "Iset. Not that you needed to know. I have seen the end of this battle one hundred times again, and the result is always the same." The woman suddenly transformed into a full Ibis, with one leg raised in the air, her long beak pointed outward, and her wings extended towards the shining sun. "My efforts are futile, but I am only a diversion." She said, using her massive bird legs to kick forward, flying towards Marie at full speeds with her beak pointed toward the woman's chest. A bird zoan? Flying types were rather rare but it didn't shock Marie too much as someone such as queen Phara would obviously have some pull in the government as to get so many zoan fruits. "I must admit, you're rather fast." Marie stood still, analyzing the situation before jumping into action. Her shadow was behind her, normally laying flat on the ground and mimicking her movements but in a mere few seconds, the shadow moved out of the ground and stood in front of her. It acted as a sort of shield, getting into a striking stance to fight the Ibis bird. As the shadow moved, Iset came to a screeching halt! She knew of this power... and thanks to Pharah's speech, the watchers were far from surprised, if anything they were scared but oddly excited. To see the powers of other gods was a rare experience. Flying back to her original position, Iset thought of a strategy. Extending her wings as if she were going to give a hug, "Razor Wing" she squawked, sending a flurry of feathers sharp as daggers flying toward the enemy. Marie looked around at the crowd, wondering what was going through their minds as they looked towards her at awe.. Then she remembered that these people rarely saw the power of gods as that's what they called it but in reality, marie was no god and was simply a devil fruit eater but she decided not to tell them that, grinning as doppleman formed a shield to block the dagger-like feathers, though one of them managed to slice through doppleman and ended up stabbing marie in the thigh. She yelled in pain, gripping her thigh along with her teeth gritting. "Damn!" Iset had no options left but to keep going. Marie had yet to attack, but why was she always on the defensive? Charging forward once again, though this time Iset flew upward right before her strike, crashing down with her talons pointed like blades, ready to claw and gouge and whatever else it took to break through that shadow! Marie decided it was time for her to go on the offensive, moving quickly to block her attack with her sword. She tried to push the bird back, having her shadow stay back. Iset's claws were enough to go against the sword, and they clashed and clashed before Iset made a bold move! Getting even closer, she moved another leg towards the girls face, attempting to scratch and claw at her eyes. Marie had a tough time keeping the harpy woman back, eventually having to resort to using her powers, she switched places with her shadow. Marie now stood behind the harpy woman as her shadow was fighting back the bird-fortune teller. “Interesting ability.” Dog of the Queen Avery smiled up towards Pharah. Arms outstretched, as if proclaiming his next words to the heavens, he shouted at her, "So who am I fighting!" "That would be I!" A tall and stalky man came from the shadows, clad in a shiny purple and golden armor, a curved sword at his side as he sized up Avery. "This should be easy." The man remarked, scoffing as he looked at his challenger. "Come at me then, if you dare stand against the Grand Master of the Cairoian Army!" The man exclaimed in a stoic and cocky tone, looking down on Avery where he stood. "Oh man," said Avery, "this is awesome. Well, I don't like making the first move when I don't know anything about my opponent. Why don't you come at me first?" He met the man's attitude with his own. "Oh right, what's your name again? Gonna need to know the name of my future army grand master, considering I'll be running the show here pretty soon." "Such a cocky attitude. I guess I can't talk, since I carry the same tone, though, I'm cocky for a reason. I never lose." The man said, his eyes glaring at the man. "As for my name, I can at least grace you with that. I am Ranefer, as you know, Grand Master of the Cairoian Army." Ranefer responded, clearing his throat. He let out a large roar, akin to that of a hound, his bark would ring through the ears of Avery, banging into his brain over and over again as the sound resonated off the magnificent walls of Pharah's chambers. Avery placed his hands over his ears. The ringing was annoying, but he smirked. At an incredible speed, he leaped towards Ranefer, aiming a kick to the side of his jaw. "Yoichi's screeches are a lot more annoying than that!" Even after the howling would stop, there would still be a ringing in his ears. Ranefer's ears and nose began to twitch as Avery disappeared from sight, and thus a smirk appeared on his face. As Avery's food appeared at his jaw, Ranefer drew his blade, lifting it to the side of his head and turning it sideways in one swift motion. As the foot grew nearer to his face, it would collide with the blade. "I'm already aware of your iron skin, but even iron can be cut." Ranefer turned his blade on an angle, speeding forward in one swift motion, slicing up Avery's leg and body, allowing his body despite being heavily armored to slip just under him, using his own momentum against him at this moment. The cut into his leg was rather shallow, but the force sent spinning in midair. He landed on his feet, somewhat annoyed, but his smile quickly returned after he noticed the blood dripping down his leg. "Oo! No one's drew blood from me since Benjamin! I can tell, you're the strongest in this entire country, aren't you? Well then, I guess I should kick it up a notch!" He charged at at Ranefer once again, moving in a manner that made it appear he was going to punch him in the gut. But the second he would move to block or dodge, his fist would open, and he'd grab Ranefer by the sword arm in an iron grip. As Avery approached Ranefer didn't dodge nor block. He let out a large bark once again, repeating the effects it had prior. He then cocked his arm up in the air and drew it forward, aiming to cut across Avery's face, notably his eyes, one of the more vulnerable spots on his body. "I'm flattered, you noticed. But this is only a taste of my strength." Renefer remarked. The sudden bark caused his vision to blur, tripping over himself as he lost his balance. As he fell, his face turned towards the ground, Ranefer's sword raked across his back, causing him to fall right at Ranefer's feet. The crowd cheered. Was he done already? After all the posturing? That's when Avery's hand shot out from where he was lying, like a snake coming out of a pit, aiming to grab onto Ranefer's leg with the same grip he attempted before. As Avery gripped Ranefer's leg, it began to shrink, swiftly growing skinny and hairy before slipping form Avery's grip and leaping away from his head. Behind Avery, a large and skinny dog could be seen, Ranefers blade in it's mouth. The dog then swiftly turned back into Ranefer. "Cheeky one aren't you?" Ranefer remarked, raising his blade before slamming it down to jab it into Avery's back with large force, almost like a dog bite slamming down on its victim. Avery rolled onto his side, narrowly avoiding Ranefer's blade as it stuck into the ground, then immediately rolling back to knock the sword out of his hand. He pushed off the ground with one hand, diving towards Ranefer with a swift and powerful dropkick. Copying Avery's own move, Ranefer rolled to the side, allowing Avery to simply kick into the floor, grabbing his blade that was knocked from his hand. He swiftly stood to his feet, awaiting Avery's next move as he would descend back to the ground. Avery quickly got back to his feet, staring down Ranefer. Despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but enjoy himself, as evidenced by his still persisting grin. "You're pretty fast." Avery's entire body suddenly relaxed, his arms by his side. He was hunched over slightly, but otherwise he acted like there wasn't a care in the world. "Why don't you take a shot at me? I'll even let you do that howling thing first. It's no fun being the only one actively attacking." "Because you asked so nicely." Ranefer remarked, slouching his body over, almost like a dog standing on his hind legs, he blasted forward, his body looking like nothing more than a blur. He moved in a zigzag like fashion, throwing off his location and as he reached Avery he let out a large bark, aiming to disorientate him as he flipped over the boy, going for a deep slash to his back with his blade. He wasn't lying when he said that Yoichi's screeches were more powerful before, but Ranefer's howling still packed a punch. The blade slashed across his back, leaving another shallow cut. He rolled forward from the force, turning back to face his opponent. "That all you got? Come on, hit me again!" "If you insist." Ranefer slouched once again, but this time, he didn't stop, he began to go low to the floor, his body soon turning to a dog's with his blade in his mouth. He shot forward once again, this time much fast and taking sharper and wider turns, almost impossible to follow to even a trained eye, looking almost as if he disappeared. This time he came from the side of Avery, but rather than slashing him, he barked directly into his ear, also aiming to cut at his head as he barked with the blade in his mouth, swiftly biting back town to ensure a clean and deeper cut. Avery was certainly more discombobulated from the bark, but he could still focus on the blade headed towards his throat. He moved his arms to guard his head, cutting across his arms as he was knocked backwards. "Come on doggy, that can't be all. Give me a really nice one and I'll give you a treat." Without a second thought, Ranefer zoomed back towards Avery at incredible speeds. He shot at his legs in a straight line, charging his blade forward to cut at the boys ankles. Avery was getting a bit more accustomed to Ranefer's speed at this point. He hopped, just over Ranefer's blade, aiming a kick to his face. "Argh!" Ranefer growled ad he was kicked in the face, being caught off guard by Avery's swift reaction. "He's become accustomed to my speeds, this could spell a bit of trouble if I stay on the offense..." Ranefer pondered, his teeth drawn and his eyes like daggers as he growled and watched Avery for his next move Category:Role-Plays